> WW News Service Digest #187 > > 1) Corporate criminals: What can Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone workers do? > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 2) Victim of Baltimore cops remembered > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 3) Dona Vera presente! > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 4) 600 from U.S. to attend Cuba solidarity conference > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > 5) Plan Colombia: 'Declaration of war' > by "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 9, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >FORD, BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE SCANDAL: >WORKERS' CONTROL CAN STOP CORPORATE CRIMES > >By Milt Neidenberg > >They are corporate criminals. > >The top management of Ford Motor Co. and >Bridgestone/Firestone--including Ford Chair William C. Ford >Jr., Ford President Jacques Nasser, recently retired >Bridgestone/Firestone Chair Masatoshi Ono and new Chair John >Lampe--are all guilty of criminal negligence. > >For the last five years, they knew that a scab workforce had >built defective tires in Decatur, Ill. They also knew that >those tires caused death and injury to many who drove Ford >Explorer sport utility vehicles. > >This corporate cabal recently agreed to recall 6.5 million >defective tires and made phony apologies to the victims. > >In mid-October the National Highway Traffic Safety >Administration reported that there were 119 deaths and over >500 injuries attributed to the use of these defective tires. >Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone deceived the public for years >as they conspired to continue to mount the tires on Ford >Explorers. > >The NHTSA also reported more than 3,500 complaints that >could add to the toll of deaths and injuries after they are >reviewed--an alarming increase from only a few months ago. > >These facts should have persuaded the U.S. Justice >Department to begin a criminal investigation. > >TYCOONS HELD ACCOUNTABLE? > >Will these corporate tycoons and their global empires--which >are responsible for similar deaths and injuries worldwide-- >be held accountable? > >The actions of the Congress and the Justice Department say: >Absolutely not. > >In the capitalist United States, there is no accountability >for those who have the power, wealth and influence to >whitewash their sins. They are above the law. Their morality >is governed only by the need to expand the enormous profits >of their global corporate empires. > >Ford Jr. is the great-grandson of Ford Motor founder Henry >Ford, and his mother is a granddaughter of Firestone founder >Harvey S. Firestone Sr., a close friend of old man Ford. > >At a Sept. 14 news conference, Ford Jr. stated, "It hurts to >see a family name and a family heritage tarnished so badly." > >What arrogance! Compare his "pain and suffering" to that of >the families who have lost their loved ones in completely >preventable auto accidents. > >To add further insult to injury, Ford Jr. then announced >that he would reward shareholders by distributing $5 billion >in cash in a buyback stock transaction. > >Ford, Bridgestone/Firestone and their millionaire underlings >wallow in giant salaries, bonuses and stock options that buy >off, bribe and run the capitalist government. They are the >untouchables in capitalist society. > >Meanwhile, the courts and jails are filled with poor people >and youths of oppressed nationalities. > >While Ford Jr. blames the tire company for the crisis, >Lampe, the new chief executive of Bridgestone/Firestone, >told a Congressional hearing, "I'm tired of hearing that the >whole blame rests upon the tire." > >It's clear there is a falling out among the corporate >criminals. > >WORKERS FACE LAYOFFS > >However, Lampe, Ford and their cronies need not worry about >facing criminal charges for their conspiratorial behavior >and cover-ups, or even financial liability. Congress took >care of all that following the September-October hearings. > >Both houses of Congress approved legislation--which >President Bill Clinton has agreed to sign--that effectively >whitewashes their crimes. Transportation safety advocates >and specialists say the legislation fails to apply >appropriate punishments and fines--including criminal >penalties and jail time--for failing to report defects in >cars and tires. > >The NHTSA even had to warn Bridgestone/Firestone to stop >forcing consumers with suspect tires to give up their right >to sue if they want replacements. There are some 700,000 of >these requests. > >In fact, since 6.5 million defective tires were recalled on >Aug. 9, only 3.7 million have been replaced, according to >Lampe. (New York Times, Oct. 11) Both corporations have >spent most of their time on damage control and cost cutting-- >that is, layoffs. > >Did they lay off any of the thousands of administrative, >production, engineering, public relations and, most >significant, legal department managers, with their huge >salaries and freebies? Absolutely not. > >The first casualties, on Aug. 21, were 6,000 unionized Ford >assembly line workers. The company shut down Ford Explorer >production in St. Louis, Mo., and Ford Ranger production in >St. Paul, Minn., and Edison, N.J. > >These layoffs translated into 10,000 fewer Explorers and >15,000 fewer Rangers being produced. It caused a ripple >effect with suppliers who then laid off more workers. It's >not clear how many, if any, have returned to work. > >On Oct. 17, Bridgestone/Firestone followed Ford with an >attack on its workforce. It cut back production at three >factories--including the Decatur plant. Some 450 Decatur >workers were laid off. > >The attacks were not only at Bridgestone/Firestone. Cooper >Tire and Rubber recently announced similar plans to cut >1,100 jobs and close, sell or consolidate 18 plants and >offices to cut costs. The announcement follows an >investigation into 11 deaths caused by tire defects and poor >safety controls over tire production. > >CRISIS BEGAN IN 1990 > >The crisis for workers in Decatur really began a decade ago. >In 1990 corporate heads at what was then Firestone announced >plans to invest millions of dollars in new technology. > >Competition in the tire industry was fierce. Firestone was >responding to Good year Tire, which had earlier set up and >refined a computerized machine that reduced a retooling >process for making different-sized tires from more than four >hours to three hours. (New York Times, June 4, 1987) > >This rise in productivity resulted in a crisis of >overproduction and the intensification of exploitation. > >It was this introduction of labor-saving devices--now called >the scientific-technological revolution--that led to the >Decatur War Zone from 1994-1996. It was during this two-and- >a-half year period of corporate tyranny and turmoil-- >including a 10-month-long strike forced on the Auto Workers >union--that Bridgestone/Firestone produced the defective >tires Ford mounted on its Explorers. > >In November 1996 the Auto Workers were forced to accept an >agreement that left most of Bridgestone/Firestone's scab >workforce in place. Management alone set the standards of >production and conduct in the plant. Any worker who failed >to abide by these standards was subject to indefinite >suspension and disciplinary action, up to and including >discharge, union members reported. > >WORKERS' CONTROL OF INDUSTRY > >The bitter events in Decatur are in the spotlight again with >the tire scandal, layoffs and indefinite plant shutdown. It >is timely and urgent during this protracted crisis to impart >a broader, independent and militant perspective to the >millionfold workers and their allies. > >What if workers' control of industry had been raised as a >demand by the labor movement in the 1980s and 1990s or even >earlier, when major advances were being made in the >scientific-technological revolution? > >In the hands of the bosses, the tremendous advances in the >means of production are driven only by the profit motive. >Their introduction causes havoc for hundreds of millions of >workers on a global scale. The resulting mega-merger >corporations are accountable to no one. > >"Accumulation of wealth at one pole is, therefore, at the >same time, accumulation of misery, agony of toil, slavery, >ignorance, brutality, mental degradation, at the opposite >pole," as Frederick Engels so well described it in his book, >"Socialism: Utopian and Scientific." > >What's the solution? The workers must control and run the >factories and offices. There is no other way to eliminate >the capitalists' insatiable appetite for exploitation. > >The productive forces, created by the collective labor of >various sectors of the working class, have far outgrown the >constraints of private ownership. They are really social in >character, crossing national boundaries. > >The workers have the skills and the knowledge to run these >industries. > >Raising the issue of workers' control of industry will find >favor, not only in the multinational working class, but also >among the millions of consumers who are rightly suspicious >of the giant transnational corporations. > >Workers' control over production and all conditions in the >workplace also raises the issue of the workers' right to >occupy the plants during a protracted crisis, like the one >at Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone. The sit-down strikes of >the late 1930s gave a splendid example of what workers could >do when they are organized, united, independent, creative >and militant. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <004301c048f3$ee73e780$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Victim of Baltimore cops remembered >Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 14:50:07 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 9, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >VICTIM OF BALTIMORE COPS REMEMBERED > >By Sharon Black Ceci >Baltimore > >Deborah Carr, mother of slain police victim Larry Hubbard, >proclaimed: "I am angry, very angry because justice has not >been done in my son's case. His killers, the police, are >still at large." > >Tears ran down her face and that of other family members as >they gathered Oct. 20 at the spot where Hubbard was shot. It >would have been Hubbard's 23rd birthday. Over a year ago >Baltimore City Police Officer Barry Hamilton shot Hubbard to >death in an incident over an alleged stolen car. > >Witnesses stated that Hamilton yelled at Hubbard, "Don't >move m----- f----- or I'll blow your head off," as he >pointed his gun at point blank range. Witnesses heard >Hubbard plead for his life: "Please don't shoot, please >don't shoot." > >Members of the citywide All-Peoples Congress vowed to >continue the fight to bring justice to the family and >convict killer police. The All-Peoples Congress, along with >Unity for Action and other community activists, have held >continuous protests against police terror. Hundreds of >people have joined in demanding justice. > >Hubbard's grandmother, daughter and many other family >members placed candles, balloons and teddy bears at the site >where he was gunned down. > >His aunt Taegan Hubbard read a poem entitled "Nephew." > >Oh Nephew, oh Nephew >Why did he have to die. >They say he stole a car, >They say he ran so far, >They say he pleaded for his life. >"Oh please, oh please, oh please just don't let me die. >"I am just a young Black man not trying to cry." >Not a penny dropped, not a sound >Just people staring at the ground. >One shot "bang" to the head was enough to say >My nephew is dead. >The crowd looked, the crowd shouted. >Oh nephew why did you have to die. >This my brother's one and only son. >So I ask over and over again, >"Nephew why did you have to die." > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >Message-ID: <005201c048f4$0501d480$0a00a8c0@linux> >From: "WW" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [WW] Dona Vera presente! >Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2000 14:50:42 -0500 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="Windows-1252" >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Nov. 9, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >DONA VERA PRESENTE! > >Dona Adelfa Vera Vega Melendez, long-time leader and symbol >of the struggle for Puerto Rico's independence, passed away >on Oct. 22. Dona Vera, as she was familiarly called, was >suffering from cancer at the time of her death. She is >survived not only by her children but by a whole community >that loved and learned from her over the century of struggle >that she represented. > >Dona Vera was born to a political family on March 25, 1917. >Her parents were members of the Socialist Party of Puerto >Rico, founded in 1920. The Socialist Party arose from the >tobacco workers' struggles of the time. She was only 13 when >she and her mother were arrested for the crime of raising >the Puerto Rican flag in front of their home. > >Only a few years later, at the age of 17, Dona Vera joined _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
